“He said that, right?” Ford said, following his players into the post-game press conference. “LB has come so far defensively. He has his moments where he's a really good defender and you saw one there at the last second, so that's what counted.

“But I'm sure he thinks that, as much as we're yelling his name on defense. So I can see where he'd think that.”

And Ford apparently is not alone.

“LB blocking a game-winning shot? It's unusual,” said Cowboys sophomore Markel Brown. “Usually, he doesn't get up off the ground.”

COBBINS UNSUNG HERO

Freshman forward Michael Cobbins was the only OSU starter not to reach double-figure scoring.